Sellexio Maritime Data · Monthly report

Port Congestion Report — August 2026

The worst container gateways this month, ranked by measured average vessel waiting time from our own AIS observation history. Every number below comes from the Port Friction Index — no carrier surveys, no self-reported terminal figures.

Gateways measured

53

Worst average wait

231.7 h

Piraeus

Estimated daily cash burn

$149,628,600

across all gateways

What changed since July 2026

This is the first published month for these gateways, so there is no prior-period comparison yet. Next month's edition will show the movement.

The chart

Republish this chart freely with attribution to the Sellexio Port Friction Index.

Worst container gateways — August 2026Average vessel waiting time, hours — measured from AIS anchorage-to-berth observationsPiraeus231.7 hShenzhen / Yantian186.2 hHamburg251.3 hAmbarli (Istanbul)99.3 hTanjung Priok (Jakarta)82.2 hNew York / New Jersey233.4 hPort Said128.0 hLe Havre183.0 hManila81.4 hFelixstowe136.6 hSource: Sellexio Port Friction Index, August 2026 · sellexio.co/port-friction-index
Worst container gateways — August 2026 — average vessel waiting time by gateway, August 2026. Free to republish with attribution to the Sellexio Port Friction Index.
Download the data (CSV)Cite as: Sellexio Port Friction Index, August 2026.

Worst gateways, August 2026

#GatewayAvg waitP90 waitVs July 2026FrictionDaily burn
1PiraeusGRPIR231.7 h551.2 h—100$6,759,720
2Shenzhen / YantianCNSZX186.2 h536.5 h—100$5,547,960
3HamburgDEHAM251.3 h562.3 h—100$5,223,240
4Ambarli (Istanbul)TRAMB99.3 h441.5 h—100$5,175,720
5Tanjung Priok (Jakarta)IDTPP82.2 h298.4 h—100$4,031,280
6New York / New JerseyUSNYC233.4 h557.5 h—100$3,785,760
7Port SaidEGPSD128.0 h549.7 h—100$2,625,480
8Le HavreFRLEH183.0 h549.3 h—100$2,522,520
9ManilaPHMNL81.4 h238.4 h—100$2,292,840
10FelixstoweGBFXT136.6 h531.3 h—100$1,635,480
11AlgecirasESALG111.4 h398.2 h—100$1,595,880
12DurbanZADUR129.4 h404.0 h—100$1,492,920
13CartagenaCOCTG98.8 h371.6 h—100$1,211,760
14SavannahUSSAV111.6 h519.6 h—100$1,148,400
15Buenos AiresARBUE114.2 h462.3 h—100$1,065,240

Method: waiting time is measured from AIS position reports inside each gateway's anchorage polygon until berth arrival. Daily burn estimates the cost of waiting tonnage and the demurrage it typically generates downstream. See our methodology.

Why congestion turns into demurrage

Waiting at anchorage is not free time. Carrier free days generally start counting from discharge, so a vessel that sits 231.7 h at anchorage arrives into a terminal whose yard is already full — and the clock starts against a congested pickup window. That mismatch is where most disputable demurrage is created, and it is contestable when the delay is documented.

Demurrage vs detention explainedCarrier free-time tariffsLive Port Friction Index

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